Silent Confessions
by Cheria
Summary: Spinoff to "Gossip" - Izuru has attempted telling Momo thrice; he failed all three times.
1. Chapter 1: Child

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its content, Tite Kubo does.

* * *

_Act I of III: Hello..._

Their first encounter was what one could call highly amusing. No introductions were exchanged - they were classmates, they already knew. Momo was lively as always, greeting Izuru cheerfully, who had been assigned as her partner for the upcoming field activity. Her classmate, on the other hand, managed a first syllable of his "hello" before he broke into a stuttering fit and broke eye contact. Oblivious to the girl he was quite flustered, but all she could see was his mouth as his head hung, the lips curled into a horribly strained smile that made her involuntarily giggle.

Upon hearing her response to his strange reaction, Izuru froze. He was mentally kicking himself for the poor return greeting when he heard that giggle. The stifled laughter lifted his shame, and he quickly regained the confidence he had lost for but a moment.

"Are you ready?" He managed, standing straight.

Momo nodded. "I wonder what we'll be doing today. Whatever it is," she raised a fist, "let's do our best!"

Her classmate cracked a smile. "Yeah..."

Hinamori. A spirited and kind girl who possessed potential. She was modest, but managed to outdo a majority of her classmates with ease, especially when it came to kidou. Consequently, her swordsmanship was hurting, though not severely. Renji was her polar opposite when it came to both personality and fighting style. Except for the impulsive trait they shared, which Izuru had honestly not been expecting from a girl of such a small build.

If asked, most would say that Izuru and Momo were very alike. The former knew better; she was nothing like him. Izuru was as conceited as she was modest, and overestimated himself. He was easily efficient in both kidou and swordsmanship. Momo had the potential to be even better at kidou, but he knew his control over it would always be better, even if she would probably learn more than he in the future. The target practice back at the beginning of the year had proven it. And Izuru was not impulsive. He wouldn't budge an inch without the consent of a superior authoritative figure.

The two joined the rest of their class as they stood in a straight, horizontal line, awaiting their instructions for the day's field training. Their instructor made his way to the front, clearing his throat as he adjusted his volume to be heard without having to yell.

"You will be helping your partner improve what they are lacking in. This includes swordsmanship, kidou, agility, and - for those that wish to elaborate - hand-to-hand exercises. Besides the last method mentioned, all other forms listed must be worked on. I suggest working on thing and moving to another after a while. You have an hour." With that said, he moved to the right to bench himself as he waited for the students to begin.

They went immediately to work, stationing themselves at the corner of the field to escape needless chatting (they knew from experience that being in the middle would be distracting, as the voices of all the different students would come tumbling in). Deciding to get kidou out of the way, the two started with it first, and quickly moved on.

"Like this?"

"No." Izuru bit his bottom lip. He was naturally blunt, and the word had come rolling out his tongue before he could catch himself for a better choice of words.

He quickly launched himself beside her, his hand resting on her soft ones as he thummed his fingers over her knuckles. "You're holding it wrong. Relax your grip, it's too tight. And," his right foot hooked onto her left ankle, pulling it out, "widen the distance between your legs. Straighten your back too, you're hunched." She complied.

"Like _this_?" Izuru would have laughed at how her eyes were narrowed with fierce determination, that round face looking slightly awkward with such an intimidating expression, but it would have been rude. He nodded, "Yeah, like that."

A smile graced her features and she assumed normal position. She would have, until she realized after sliding her right leg that Izuru's hand and foot was still connected with her own. Upon noticing the intimate position, Izuru instinctively leapt back, flushed and feeling as if the wooden sword she was holding had connected with his head. He stuttered loudly, an apology not quite making it out of his lips.

He immediately closed his mouth when he heard her laughter. The sound was refreshing and new, something that he had never really heard. He remembered his mother's laugh, weak and trembly, as illness took part. He had no memories of his father doing such thing. But here was Momo, with such a pure and loud laughter that he hadn't personally experienced yet. Izuru would have missed the words she spoke had he not been only partially spaced out.

"It's all right, Kira-kun. You were helping me, so it's okay to touch."

And apparently she didn't realize the actual extent of how _wrong_ their position had been. Momo was innocent, in a naiive way. Izuru knew better. If anyone had managed to see the whole fiasco - especially Renji - he wouldn't hear the end of it.

"No, I shouldn't have done that without your consent."

Never the less, she insisted on following up with what she said. "I'm telling you, it's not a problem." He nodded stiffly, still unconvinced.

Willing the uncomfortable discussion away, Izuru changed the subject. "Let's move on to our footwork."

The next method, for the most part, was a breeze. Momo was surprisingly good on her feet, and Izuru was already used to the specific requirements from years of having to properly stand as a noble (not that it mattered much, considering he came from a lesser family). With extra time on their hands, they gave hand-to-hand combat style a try. The results weren't exactly admirable.

"So you curl your fingers in with your thumb over your fist," he followed up the words with a demonstration, "and bend it slightly. Your knuckles should be what's hitting the target." This was like a repeat of what happened with sword practice, and he was hoping it wouldn't end with a suggestive pose like last time.

"Like thi-" And while Izuru's hope did its work, the different outcome was far more painful. "K-Kira-kun! I'm so sorry!"

The boy stumbled back a few steps, his hands shooting up to his nose as he came to wonder just how in Seireitei Momo had punched his face when he was so much taller. His classmate quickly tended to him, lowering his hands gently as she assessed the damage she had done. One thing was for sure; Momo had a powerful punch.

His voice was thick from the blood clogging his nose. "Hinamori-kun...?"

She shook her head, releasing his hands as a sudden chill over them from the loss of warmth provided by her own. "You shouldn't talk. I'll go get the instructor. Don't tilt your head back!" Before he could mutter any words of protest, she was gone.

Thankfully, none of the other students seemed to care when Momo brushed past them, which meant no one was looking at him either. Except when he scanned the crowd, he noticed a pair of sharp eyes glancing menacingly towards his direction. Izuru gulped, knowing well Renji would tease him for being hit so harshly by a girl. Or, if he hadn't seen what she did, he would surely attempt to pry out the information. Just his luck.

* * *

The instructor had come running in at the speed of light and immediately taken a look at him. From the man's confusion and sigh of relief, Izuru could tell Momo had told her teacher an exaggerated version of what had really happened. She tended to make things like this dramatic. It wasn't done purposely, she was often times too concerned for her own good. Maybe she had told the instructor he was "bleeding horribly and maybe about to pass out", judging from the latter's muttering as he handed the student a tissue.

Momo came trudging in after the instructor left to sit back on the bench. Izuru felt guilty for the worried expression she wore on her features, because he had been the one to initiate that look. As soon as she sat on the grass beside him, the words came tumbling out.

"Sorry, Hinamori-kun. I made you worry."

She shook her head hastily. "I'm the one who hit you, I should be apologizing."

He forced out a laugh, and it sounded so fake and strained it made him want to throw the tissue onto the ground in frustration. "No, don't worry about that. I should have stepped back before letting you give it a go."

Momo said nothing at that, sitting silently next to the blond. It seemed as though an eternity had passed until Izuru cleared his throat. His classmate looked up at him expectantly, knowing well that he had wanted to say something.

"Hinamori-kun... I...," another moment of silence passed by sharply, and he sighed, "You're a good friend."

A smile replaced her worried look, and her eyes shined with a kind of light he couldn't quite place. "Thanks. You're a great friend too, Kira-kun." Izuru cracked a smile in return, though the effect was horribly ruined as the bloody tissue blocked off half his face. Her shoulders began to shake at the sight, and she broke into another fit of giggles before the boy could ask what was wrong. He had realized what it was she was unwillingly laughing at a moment later, and took down the tissue hastily, flushed. Unfortunately he was forced to put it back in place when more blood came seeping out.

He might tell her next time. It would have been silly to tell her so early, she would only see it as a childish crush. Izuru would wait as long as he needed to before the right time came.

He just hadn't expected to wait for decades to get another chance. And the moment had been so fleeting to the point it was nearly impossible to catch.


	2. Chapter 2: Boy's Envy

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its content, Tite Kubo does.

* * *

_Act II of III: End of the Beginning_

Playing it safe often did not end as such. Decades had passed, and Izuru was ever grateful that he and Momo ended up in the same division. After some time, Renji was moved to the eleventh, which meant less pressure and tension for the blond to admit how he felt. The red-head was aware of how the diligent shinigami was infatuated with Momo, and constantly pushed him to admit it - thankfully, he knew when to stop the pressuring; it was when Izuru looked like he was about to hyperventilate.

But he hadn't expected his luck to turn on him at the last minute. Of all the divions, they just had to end up in the fifth.

Appropriately, Momo was always on a streak about Aizen, their captain. It was incredibly discouraging on Izuru's part, as he could never quite find a loophole reasonable enough to change the subject. The only side conversation he could possibly pick out from a discussion concerning Aizen would lead to talking about Ichimaru, as he was the lieutenant. And he certainly wasn't going to go there; the man frightened her.

Perhaps things would change, taking into consideration said vice-captain's promotion. Ichimaru was to be captain of the 3rd Division in a month's time, and there was bound to be vacant spots for several positions at that time. Of course, that meant the lieutenant seat for the 5th Division would be open as well, and that only brought out more ambition on Momo's part. Not to mention, he was interested in the position too. In fact, the thought of obtaining second seat was the dream of many shinigami, before they could be captain at last.

And this was Aizen Sousuke. Practically everyone favored him the most out of all the Gotei 13 captains (very few were exceptions, such as Unohana). He was kind, soft-spoken, organized, and - according to those who had previously confronted him - a good listener. Not to mention, fair. The fifth did not judge anyone by their heredity, and even Izuru appreciated the sytem; he wasn't treated differently for coming a noble family, no matter how low the Kira name was compared to those with huge titles like Kuchiki.

The blond was slightly envious.

So he walked down the hall of the 5th Division's barracks, contemplating the situation as he imagined Momo's reaction to the recent news. When the rumors had started, he noticed that her eyes with gleaming with a peculiar glow. Now that it was indeed official she would, surely, sit at the edge of her seat to see if any recommendations would come her way. She wasn't a high-ranked seated officer for no reason. He sighed, leaving the hallway as he trudged towards the division's pond. The koi swam about restlessly, a clear reflection of his thoughts. He stood there for a good minute or two, just looki -

"-kun!" He blinked. And once the present caught up with him, he knew immediately who the caller was from the voice.

"Hinamori-kun." Izuru turned, meeting the sight of a rather disheveled Momo. He could guess she was like that from being too hasty, as the excitement was evident in her eyes.

"Did you hear the news? The rumors weren't lies!" She exclaimed gleefully, stopping between words to catch some breath; she'd ran to him.

"Yeah."

By this time her heart rate was back to normal, and she stood up straight to properly greet him. "Isn't that great? Ichimaru-fukutaichou will be a captain of another division -"

_You're glad he's leaving._

"- and the lieutenant spot will be open -"

_You want to be the new adjutant to Aizen-taichou._

"- and it's so exciting!"

_You're really hoping for it._

Izuru smiled, she radiated so much happiness with just words. His words were flat, however, and he was glad Momo didn't notice what with all her anxiety. "It is. You know," he added, hoping he sounded more lively at this point, "it's okay to want to be Ichimaru-fukutaichou's replacement. Being more audacious won't hurt, Hinamori-kun."

For that moment she suddenly seemed deep in thought, and her look of contemplation changed to that of happiness. She nodded in agreement, expressing her silent thanks to his encouragement. Izuru would have liked to believe that this would be the end of that, and that maybe she would go hunt down Renjit to share the information, but her next share of the news was something he hadn't heard of.

"The 3rd Division is going to be missing a captain and lieutenant - who do you think the new vice-captain will be?"

He genuinely raised a brow. "Two vacant seats?"

"It sounds strange, but the lieutenant stepped down when the captain was replaced." Momo paused, thinking a few things over. "Maybe you can be the lieutenant for Ichimaru-fukutaichou once he's promoted to captain."

Once the news sunk it, he looked down, inspecting the damp grass by the pond. "I see." But after the second part registered in his head, he quickly raised it. "_Me_?"

"Yeah. You talk with Ichimaru-fukutaichou a lot, don't you?"

"I just happen to be wherever he's at." It was true, Izuru liked reading under the nice shades of well-grown trees, buildings, and the lot. He didn't realize one of his favorite reading spots was where Ichimaru scouted for persimmons. He couldn't sympathize with the man - the blond disliked persimmons, especially dried ones. "And I'm the third seat, so...," realization dawned, and he cracked a smile, "So if I become the 3rd Division's lieutenant, as a fourth seat, your chances to be the fifth's adjutant will dramatically increase." It almost sounded melancholy.

Momo stifled a gasp at the last statement, a guilty expression ruling her features. "I didn't mean it like that! I shouldn't have made it sound so accusing..." He always seemed to make the situation worse with his blunt words.

"It's all right, I'm the one that interpreted it that way. Don't worry about it."

* * *

When he had apologized for misinterpreting the words, he hadn't meant for it to actually happen. A few days after the dreaded conversation with Momo, he had been called by Aizen to speak privately (though when he reached his destination, he noticed Ichimaru there as well). And to his surprise, Momo's thought had come true. Ichimaru wanted him to be his adjutant.

Truthfully, he couldn't deny that he was half-expecting it. He was third seat, and had interacted with the silver-haired man very often. At least, many times in comparison to rest of the 5th Division; a majority were terrified of his fox-like face, that perpetual smile. He couldn't blame them, it certainly was disturbing. The fact that Ichimaru always squinted was another logical reason, as he appeared very devious and cunning, with a tint of slyness. Besides the looks and nearly suffocating atmosphere he brought around, though, he seemed like any average shinigami. Aside from the Kyoto dialect, that was rather rare, even in Rukongai.

"Acceptin' or not?"

Not a hint of hesitation. "I accept."

* * *

The news wasn't very exciting when Momo told him she was offered the position of a lieutenant as well. He was out of the way, she had every votes going for her as the fourth seat and a firm believer in Aizen. He was happy for her, very, but that didn't stop him from groaning inwardly at his slowness. Even if he could muster up enough courage to tell her how he felt now, they would not be able to spend much time with each other if they were in different divisions. Assuming she even accepted him. For all he knew, Momo could only see him as a good friend and ex-classmate, which he was hoping wasn't it.

Momo leaned her elbows on the rail of the balcony by the pond the two had stood in front of just a few days prior. It was getting late, but the cool breeze calmed her down, her cheek still warm from the excitement and anxiety of having been offered the lieutenant's seat. She would be Aizen's right hand starting next month, and it was evident that the captain's adjutant often stuck around their leader. She smiled, resting her face on the palm of her hands as she leaned forward, welcoming the wind.

"Hinamori-kun, it's getting late."

She nearly slipped and fell from the sudden intrusion of the silence. Her head whipped around, and she spotted Izuru approaching her, a look of concern on his sunken features.

"Are you all right? You're flushed."

It must have been the fact that her heart had been pounding so fast from the thought of being even closer to Aizen. Momo shook her head, indicating "no" to the latter, resuming her original position by the rail. "You surprised me, Kira-kun." She exclaimed casually.

He cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize." She giggled at the automatic response; it had come so fast, she nearly missed it.

In due time he joined her by the rail, though he chose not to lean against it. He merely stood there beside her. The silence was sickening, but Momo seemed to be enjoying it. He certainly wasn't appreciating the halcyon atmosphere, the chill was biting at him. Maybe he could be the conversation start this time around, and perhaps control the flow of it so as to stray away from talking about Aizen...

Izuru had always known his timing was often rotten. This was one of those cases.

The moment he opened his mouth to say something, _anything_ to break the silence and start a smooth discussion, a soft whisper from Momo halted him.

"Do you think I'll be a good adjutant to Aizen-taichou?"

Again.

He swallowed. "You'll be the best he's ever had, Hinamori-kun."

Momo leaned down further, the smooth edges of her shoulders hiding her face from his view as she responded accordingly. "Thanks, Kira-kun. I'm sure you'll be a great lieutenant for Ichimaru-... taichou."

He hadn't replied after that, and the silence ruled the air once more. Momo was in peace, but Izuru's mind was in a state of turmoil. But of course. Aizen was powerful; he was kind, gentlemanly, and the sort of lover most girls probably dreamed of. He had Momo's infatuation. She could never look at him as anything beside a friend, that much was obvious at this point. He couldn't pin any faults on her part; she was oblivious to how he felt, how her constant chattering of Aizen was like a needle stabbing him in pressure points with each word said. He'd endured it all, and keeping quiet had only earned him the position of possibly best friend. But she didn't know - therefore, all her attention was on the captain of the 5th Division.

And for _that_, Izuru was immersed in the sin of jealousy, and began to nurture shame for his cowardice.

* * *

i AM the Random Idiot - It's good to see another person that loves this pair!

Izuru's characterization will vary slightly for each chapter, until the change is ultimately evident if you compare the first chapter with the epilogue (fourth chapter). I did enjoy writing him in the beginning, though, it's a change from the usual self-degration he does often in the present.


	3. Chapter 3: Youth's Detachment

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its contents, Tite Kubo does.

* * *

_Act III of III: The Beginning of the End_

"Kira, come spend the night with us." Renji offered.

The blond shook his head politely. "I have paperwork to finish." He scoffed.

"You mean Ichimaru-taichou's share."

"No, my share. Ichimaru-taichou does his work."

At this Renji raised a brow. He couldn't imagine the perpetually smiling captain sitting down and diligently working on the papers that came at an obnoxious rate. It seemed too uncharacteristic of the man that took pleasure in pulling pranks and mind tricks on those around him. It was popular belief throughout Seireitei that Gin never even looked at the reports and had Izuru do everything in his stead. But here he was, denying what had been talked about for so long.

Then again, many shinigami assumed Renji skipped the paperwork himself. While he did take joy in fighting, it certainly did not mean he was a brainless brawler.

It was Izuru's voice that snapped the redhead from his thoughts. "Really, Abarai-kun. I have to get going." With that said and a simple nod of acknowledgement on Renji's part, the blond quickly departed.

He stood there for a while before grinding the heels of his feet on the ground, disappointment working its way up his nerves. Izuru often came along to kill time or keep everyone in line (though when he himself became too intoxicated, he often settled with removing the layers of his uniform to keep the heat out, and Shuuhei was forced to take him back home before he could cause a scene). Recently he hadn't been even considering going, and had rejected every single invitation extended. They hadn't had a drink together for weeks.

A sigh, and Renji made his way down the 3rd Division's hall to depart for the 9th's. Shuuhei would come, for sure.

Izuru hadn't been lying when he said he had paperwork to finish, but it was mostly an excuse to get out of the offer. He was almost done with the reports, a drink or two wouldn't have hurt. He had noticed the slightly disapproving look from Renji, and though he felt bad for dismissing the offer without a thought, he tried not to think much of it. There was too much going on, and slacking off would have raked his mind with a self-dispatched guilt trip.

As he trudged silently down the dark halls of the 3rd Division, he noticed a shadow on the ground before him, the physical form unrecognizable due to the angle of the little light that was left. He squinted, trying to make out the figure as he approached it. The person was small, very petite. And when he saw the little lump on the head that he assumed to be a bun, he instantly knew.

Izuru walked up to the girl whose back was facing him, calling out, "Hinamori-kun, what are you doing here at this hour?"

Apparently she had expected him to come from the other side, as she whipped around and nearly jumped three feet in the process.

"Kira-kun!" she gasped, putting a shapely hand over her chest for comfort, "I didn't see you with Abarai-kun, so I thought he forgot to get you."

"For what?" Momo gave him an incredulous look.

"The party, of course!"

Confused, the blond blinked as he was just about to repeat his words. "For wh -," and then it hit him, "- oh."

_For Renji's promotion to lieutenant of the 6th Division._

The smaller shinigami smiled at his quick catch-up. "Good, you didn't forget! Now let's go, we're already late." She sprinted ahead, passing him as she ran for where they often drank. Momo herself did not drink, instead settling with water and the like, but she did feel obligated to attend these sort of unofficial events. It was such a big deal for the person being promoted and his friends, these parties were always memorable and a lasting memory in the minds of those who really enjoyed it.

Izuru couldn't see why it was so special. It was more or less a drinking festive for achieving a higher rank - simply hearing the promotional news from a captain was enough for the blond.

Either way, he felt something in his gut twist after remembering how he had flatly rejected Renji's invitation without a thought. For selfish reasons, no less. He would have no choice but to approach the redhead and apologize, then proceed to congratulate him.

* * *

A portion of the guilt had been wiped away when he saw Renji smirk in his general direction for coming. The redhead was kinder than most made him out to be, and understanding to boot.

It wasn't long before Iba and Shuuhei got the blond to chug down some jugs of sake, and he was immersed in his drunken world. His vision was blurring, and every sound was amplified, the audacity of the noises hurting his ear drums. He held back a hiss when someone patted him a bit too harshly on the back, presumably Iba or some other who was too drunk themselves to measure their strength properly.

To calm himself he began staring at the desk, his eyes narrowing as he realized he had drank too much for his own good. In a moment he was feeling extremely warm, and the desire to rip out his yukata was increasing, but he forced himself to sit as still as a statue. He wasn't going to bungle in Renji's party, it would humiliate the redhead. Not to mention, a lieutenant making a fool out of himself wouldn't be a positive subject of the gossipers. Izuru settled with laying his arms on the table, resting his head on them as he glanced unseeingly to his right. If he had chosen to put his head down on the right side, his bang would have swept across and poked his eyes, and that wasn't what he needed at the moment.

After a while the nausea was lifting, and he had gathered up enough strength to stumble out the bar. He leaned against the wall, sliding down until he sat on the ground with his knees drawn up. If his sense of time was still normal, the next day was just around the corner within an hour or two, give or take. Therefore, the night was cold, and the cool breeze relaxed him.

He must have fallen asleep at some point, as a shake to his shoulders begrudgingly brought him back to reality. He blinked a couple times, eyes searching for the source of the warm hand that rested on his arm.

"Are you okay, Kira-kun?"

No, he wasn't. The blond nodded never the less.

A hum of contemplace could be heard, and the voice piped up again as an arm wrapped around his waist. "Let's get you back home. Abarai-kun's having a good time with the others, I'm sure he'll understand."

It wasn't too difficult to figure that the person holding him was a woman. She was petite, and there was no muscular definition (Izuru had seen some women with such physical qualities, but he had to admit even the slightest of muscle looked strange on females) judging from how slender the arm was. Her hands were definitely calloused, but incredibly soft, which was amazing. He was on the woman's left side, and his taller body was leaned against her smaller frame for support, when he felt a hard object brushing against his side; a lieutenant's badge.

_Oh, God._

_This was _Momo_._

He immediately wanted to push himself off of her and vomit, from being both intoxicated and utterly flustered for having touched her so intimately without knowing it. Alas, his strength was waning from the sake, and Momo was basically dragging him to the 3rd Division's barracks. She was small, but strong. He would have to endure it for now and apologize later for the inconvenience of having had to move his uncooperative body.

When she had managed to get him across the hallway, she knew exactly where to go. The 3rd Division's barracks were simmilar to the 5th's in design, and the layout was basically identical. Imagining it to be her quarters, she navigated through the halls, until she reached the door that would be her own room. Hopefully the room positions were the same, barging into someone else's chambers was not something she could handle at the moment with a drunk Izuru on her hands. Thankfully, when she slowly opened the door, it was empty and, judging from the badge on a desk with the 3rd Division's insignia, the right room.

Momo stood there for a moment, inspecting the room she had never seen up until that point. It was very modest. There was little to no decorations, consisting of a futon, a desk with a mini bookstand on the corner, and the paper doors on the wall she knew was the closet.

A groan, and she nearly dropped the man she was holding up from surprise. Momo quickly aided him to the futon, almost dumping him on the pile of sheets due to her arms being tired from the trip.

Izuru, barely registering the fact that he was now in his own room, expected Momo to depart now that he was in his place. When she did leave, he moved a little, moving his head from the comforting pillow to the cold, hard floor as the icy temperature blocked out the heat from intoxication. He could hear footsteps, and he assumed it was Momo, but a sudden frown appeared on his lips when he realized it was getting louder, instead of weaker.

"Kira-kun, you shouldn't have drunk so much if you can't handle it." Momo gently chided, a bowl in her arms as she approached him, setting the object on the ground beside her as she kneeled down. She pressed the back of her hand against his forehead, noticing how hot he was, and how much he was sweating because of it.

Before she made any move to take the wet towel from the bowl, she carefully moved his head back onto the pillow. He wasn't comfortable in the least when the pillow only made him warmer, but said nothing in protest. Momo reached for the towel, squeezing the water out as she laid it on his forehead. It immediately took effect, and Izuru was more than happy when the heat wasn't as smothering anymore.

"Hinamori-kun...," he murmured, "Hinamori-kun." Her name sounded foreign; and he realized just how detached he had been from everyone.

_How long had it been since he had spoken to her?_

She leaned in closer for a clear response. "What is it?"

_She smells nice._

"I... Can... can you...?" It was too hot to speak, and he sighed from exhaustion.

Even with his drunken gaze he could see Momo smile, a reassuring tone in her voice. "Okay. I'll stay."

_She was such a beautiful person._

And he obliged without a care in the world when she told him to sleep.

* * *

Opal21: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy the way it's written, I have the tendency to overuse complex sentences and go crazy over it, haha. Up to now Izuru's character has gone from outgoing but reserved, confident but reluctant, to aloof but lonely to an extent. Judging from this chapter I'd say the downhill progress is only absolutely visible to the eye in the next/final possible installment, which will be a reflective piece.

The first chapter was necessary, I needed a breath of fresh air myself!

BiOCaAM: I'm very relieved to hear that they're in character, it's naturally one of the greatest pet peeves for writers when the people aren't acting like they should be. I also highly value character development, so thank goodness it's progressed relatively well. Your enthusiasm for this is very appreciated.


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